TheWanggumara, also speltWangkumara,Wongkumara,Wangkumarra, and other variants, are anAboriginal people of the state ofQueensland, Australia.
Old Wankumara, spoken along theBulloo River with theKalali people, was a "Karna–Mari fringe" language that died out with the passing of its last speakers in the late 20th century.[citation needed]"Modern" Wankumara, spoken along theWilson River, is aKarnic language, which according to Breen (1967) was identical to the speech of other peoples speaking theWilson River language. The disambiguator "modern" simply refers to the fact that the Wanggumara people continued speaking that language more recently than the other.[1]
According toNorman Tindale, the Wanggumara lands covered some 4,500 square miles (12,000 km2), stretching overCooper Creek east ofNappa Merrie and Orientos to the area around theephemeralWilson River atNockatunga.[2]
Writing in 1886, F. W. Myles described their neighbouring tribes as follows:
The names of the tribes which adjoin the Wonkomarra are, to the south, thePoidgerry (on the Currowinya Downs station) and theBitharra (on the Bulloo Downs station); to the west, theThiralla (on the Nockatoongo station) andEromarra (on the Conbar station); to the north, theBunthomarra (on the Mount Margaret station) and theMurgoin (on the Ardock station); and on the east by the same tribe (on the Dynevor station).[3]
The first settlers arrived in 1863, and within two decades their population had been reduced substantially to just 90 people.[3] Those surviving moved to Chastleton (former name of Nappa Merrie Station) and Narcowlah where they mingled with theKalali.[2]
The Wanggumara were divided intohordes, concerning which two names possibly referring to their clans survive:[2]